2002 Barolo & Piedmont Vintage

2002 interrupted a cycle of outstanding years. The season ran from spring and August rains to low temperatures, finishing with hailstorms during September. After six years of hot, dry weather, the year brought rain and attacks of grey mould. Piedmont was wet and cool for most of the growing season, with various hailstorms. One of the worst came in early September, when golf-ball-sized hail ripped through some of Barolo's best vineyards, including Cannubi, Cerequio and Brunate. Decanter's Michaela Morris, writing in 2024, places the severe hailstorms in the second week of September and says they devastated vineyards throughout the zone, most notably in the west. On 18 September 2002, Piedmont's Nebbiolo picking was expected to start around 20 September. The harvest was later than in the recent past, growers had to grade their grapes and discard bunches attacked by mould, and 15 to 20 days of fine weather turned the forecasts around. Early July forecasts had pointed to a plentiful crop, but hail and other adverse weather and parasite conditions cut it back: the first post-harvest estimate put Barolo about 40 to 45 percent below a normal year and Barbaresco 25 to 30 percent below.

• Spring and August rains, low temperatures and grey mould
• Golf-ball-sized hail in early September hit Cannubi, Cerequio and Brunate
• Harvest later than in the recent past; Nebbiolo picking expected from around 20 September
• Barolo about 40 to 45 percent and Barbaresco 25 to 30 percent below a normal year

Estimates of the loss vary by source and scope. Decanter's October 2002 harvest report gave Piedmont losses of 25 to 50 percent, in particular Barolo, while Morris puts Barolo production volumes down approximately one third compared to 2001. Many producers declassified what grapes they could salvage as Langhe Nebbiolo DOC. In September 2002, Elio Altare, badly hit by the hailstorms, told Decanter: 'Many of us will forgo making Barolo this year.' Aldo Conterno passed up Barolo production in 2002 and 2003, and Massolino made small amounts of its three Serralunga cru bottlings in 2002.

Opinions split from the start. Producers in Piedmont were surprised with the quality of their wines, and some top producers hoped to make some good Barolos and Barbarescos, as well as acceptable Dolcettos and Barberas, according to Wine Spectator's James Suckling. Decanter's October 2002 report said Gavi, Barbaresco and Barbera were doing better than expected, that Dolcetto had not averaged well, and that Federico Cerreto expected Barolo of only 'average quality'. The Consorzio called 2002 a normal rather than a great year for all varieties, but for late ripeners such as Nebbiolo 'a good vintage on the whole, with peaks of excellence.' In 2024 Morris rated 2002 1/5 and wrote: 'Other than a couple of remarkable exceptions, wines from 2002 are past their prime.' In more fortunate locations such as Monforte and Serralunga, fresh, sunny autumn conditions let a few growers bring in healthy grapes with sufficient ripeness. Morris names just two Riserva wines of note: Giacomo Conterno's Monfortino and Massolino's Vigna Rionda.